Avengers Alliance
by Catharine Carter
Summary: Superheroes of the world unite to fight a force coming that they each know they cannot defeat alone.
1. How is this Possible?

Sue and Reed Richards sat in the lab of the Baxter building, CNN playing on the television quietly across the room from them. They were silently working, or rather, trying to work. It was the first time that the world had even had the remote possibility of calmness. They hadn't had to save it in months. It was actually quite peaceful in the world and honestly enough, they knew it wasn't all because of them. But it was nice to have other superheroes around doing what they had been trying to do it felt almost single-handedly. Ok, truth be told, they weren't always doing it single-handedly, but they were the new guys in town, a team of four, working together for the greater good of the world.

But now there was another superhero team in town, well, in the world. A team of six assembled by S.H.I.E.L.D. The Avengers. Iron Man, genius in the world of advanced weaponry. Thor, super soldier from another dimension. The Hulk, another scientist whose experiment had gone wrong, turning him into a giant green rage monster. Black Widow and Hawkeye, a black ops duo. And another. One who was on the television screen right now. He wasn't giving an interview or anything, but CNN was doing an depth piece on the sixth member of the Avengers team.

The Fantastic Four hadn't been paying too close attention to them since the Angers moved in, but as the screen showed a close up of Captain America, Sue turned her head away from where she was nuzzling with her new husband, her eyes widening. "Johnny!" Reed turned his attention toward the television as well, standing up and moving over to the television, turning up the sound. "Steven Rogers, World War II hero, after having been in a coma-like state for seventy years, is now a part of the greatest superhero team since the Fantastic Fou-"

Reed turned off the television, looking at Sue who had her arms wrapped tightly over her breasts, hugging herself tightly. "Why does that man look like my brother?" she asked, still looking at the blank television screen as if she was still looking at the images of Captain America on the screen.

"I don't know, Sue."

She turned her head to look at him. "Is he related to us somehow?"

Reed shook his head. "I don't know, Sue."

"Why didn't we realize this before?"

That was the only thing he knew the answer to. "We really haven't been paying attention to these Avengers since they came onto the scene, Sue. How would we know?"

Just then, Johnny came walking in to the room, laughing and going on about something amazing he'd just done, but once he saw their faces, he froze, his shoulders slumping. "What did I do now?"

Reed reached over and turned back on the television. Johnny walked over, placing his hand on the equipment table across from the television, leaning over and watching the CNN coverage of Captain America. After a moment, he snickered, looking between his sister and brother-in-law.

"Yeah? So what?" he said, standing up straight, waiting to see how they were going to blame something on him.

"So what?" Sue said, her eyes wide and almost incredulous. "Doesn't this mean anything to you?"

Johnny looked back at the television for a moment and then to Sue again. "So there's another superhero team in the world. That's great! Maybe now the world won't keep hounding us for saving."

"Johnny!" Sue threw held her hand up toward the television. "Do you not see?"

Johnny shook his head, his eyes narrowing in on his sister. "Are you really upset about more superheroes coming in? They can pick up some of the catastrophe's we face every day."

"Johnny, he looks just like you!" Sue pleaded with him now because he obviously wasn't getting what was going on here.

Johnny scoffed, walking closer to thetelevisionscreen to look at him. After a moment, he shook his head, turning around to look at Sue and Reed again. "You guys are crazy." He patted Sue on the shoulder and started to leave the room. "I'll hit you guys up later," he said, stepping into the elevator and leaving the twoof them alone again.

"I can't believe he doesn't see it, Reed!" Sue said, reaching out and flipping off the television again. "It's almost as if he could be looking into a mirror."

"I know, Sue, but if he doesn't see it, he doesn't see it."

Sue pursed her lips, shaking her head. "We have to find out why this Captain America or Steven Rogers looks like my brother, Reed. We have to."

Reed didn't understand why this was so important to her. Of course, he saw the similarities, and curiosity made him want to know too, but he didn't see exactly why Sue justhadto know. But he was going to help her find out. And the first step would be going to talk to Steven Rogers.


	2. Something's Coming

Clark Kent sat on the couch as he held his new son in his arms, his wife sleeping with her head on his lap. The boy wasn't really their son, well not yet anyway, but H.G. Wells had left him for them to take care of. Lois and Clark in the future had just given birth to him and something catastrophic was threatening the Utopia that they were trying to build, so they had asked Wells to bring back their son JP for Lois and Clark of this time to take care of him. Wells hadn't told them what the JP stood for, and they weren't going to ask. They knew that when the time came, they would know what they were going to name their baby boy. They hadn't even asked how far in the future JP was brought back from. They were just happy to have him here with them now.

JP stirred in Clark's arms, opening his eyes and looking up at his father. Clark smiled as the little boy reached up, trying to grab at his nose. Clark took the tiny hand in his gentle embrace and pulled it up to his lips, kissing it gently. Lois started to stir on his lap and Clark looked down to her.

"Ready to go to bed?" Clark asked quietly. "I think this little guy's about ready to turn in for the night."

Lois smiled, sitting up beside her husband and reaching her hand out to run it smoothly over JP's head. "I'll get a bottle," Lois said, yawning. Clark nodded his head and Lois gave Clark's shoulder a quick kiss before repeating the act on JP's forehead and standing up off the couch, walking into the kitchen.

Clark heard a knock, but not at the front door, at the window, turning his head to look at it oddly. His enhanced vision let him see through the curtains to see a figure standing there in black. He hadn't expected him to be coming by, and since it wasn't a telephone call, he knew it wasn't about work. Bruce Wayne had just acquired the Daily Planet in his newest line of acquisitions from the Luthor Empire, and he had been working very closely with Perry, Jimmy, Lois and Clark, getting to know the ropes. But it wasn't Bruce Wayne standing outside the window. It was Batman. Clark opened the window and the Caped Crusader stepped in, shutting the window behind him. He shortly looked down at the baby and back up at Clark.

"I need a moment of your time. Is Lois here?"

Clark looked toward the kitchen and then back to Batman. "She's making JP a bottle."

Batman nodded curtly. "Take the baby to her. I need a moment of your time, Superman."

Clark sighed. So much for a quiet evening a lone with his wife. He nodded assuredly at his compadre. "I'll be right with you," he told Batman before turning and walking into the kitchen with JP in his arms. "Lois," he said as she turned around to face him.

"Oh, no..." Lois knew what the look on his face meant, and Clark knew she did.

"Batman is in the living room. He needs to speak to Superman."

Lois reached out, taking JP from his arms. "Go ahead," she spoke softly, giving him a soft smile.

Leaning over to her, he kissed her lips softly. "Don't wait up for me," he told her before spinning into his Superman outfit and winking at her before heading back to the living room.

"What is it?" Clark asked Batman as he was coming into the room.

Batman had just opened the window so they could leave. "Not here." He stepped out onto the ledge and took out his proppeling grappling hook, aiming it at the top of the building across the street. Looking back at Superman, they both nodded at each other and Batman ejected the hook before giving it a tug to make sure it was secure and pressing the release button for it to bring him zipping up to the top of the building. Superman stepped up onto the ledge and flew up to the top of the building, the force of him flying out shutting the window behind him.

Once on the top of the ledge on the building across the street, Superman turned to Batman. "What's going on?"

Batman stood, facing away from Superman. "Something is happening, Clark."

Superman narrowed his eyes in on his friend. Usually he didn't refer to him as Clark when they were dressed as their alter egos. But he had said he needed to speak to Superman and now he was addressing him as Clark. Clark knew that this had to be a grave matter.

"Superheroes across the globe are banding together. Some are forming teams. Others are alligning out of necessity not in any formal groups, but they all know something is coming. Something huge. Something everyone knows they cannot defeat on their own."

Superman didn't understand. Why hadn't he heard anything about it? He worked in the news media so that he would know when things were happening. And what could possibly happen that superheroes couldn't handle it single handedly. He knew some superheroes that were pretty powerful, some quite possibly even more powerful than him. Superman had his weaknesses and it was common knowledge to the whole world. Of course, they didn't know his biggest weakness, and it was that above all else that he had to protect. Nothing would ever bring him down as much as if someone found out he was Clark Kent. Then they would use that to get to Lois and everyone he cared about against him. He would never let that happen, not in a million years.

"I don't understand," Superman told Batman, coming up to stand beside him, looking out into the night sky, trying to figure out what the Dark Knight could possibly be looking at or for, but even with his superhuman eye sight, he saw nothing.

"The Avengers have intelligence that something is coming from out there that none of us can fight on our own. It will take groups of us, if not every single person in the world with superhuman abilities to fight against whatever it is that is coming."

But Superman was an inquisitive man by nature. That's why he had become a reporter. He liked to know everything he could about anything. "But do we even know what is coming?"

Batman shook his head. "No, but it is enough of a threat that everyone, even the most confident of superheroes are concerned."

Superman nodded. If others were concerned, then he should do what he can do to help the others and the world. "What can we do?"

Batman turned to Superman, grateful he asked without him just having to come out and say what they should do. He wanted Superman to be onboard 100%, and be willing to do this with him without feeling like he had to. Serving the world, making it a better place was a choice, not an obligation. "We form a league of our own. A league of superheroes with the common goal of making this world a better place. I've already spoken with the Green Lantern and a few others, but most have not replied yet. I assume they are as concerned as we are, but they don't know what they can do to help. If they see that it is you and I who are heading up this league, I am sure that they will fall into line sooner rather than later."

Then Clark asked the one question Bruce wished that he hadn't. "Have you contacted Diana?"

Batman turned away from his friend, not wanting him to see the clouds forming over his eyes. "I have not spoken with Wonder Woman."

Superman knew that the two of them had been involved years ago, the whole world knew that Batman and Wonder Woman had been together. It was huge news. Never before had two superheroes been so closely involved with each other. Of course, there was Scott Summers and Jean Grey, but the world didn't even like to think about the mutants as superheroes, but the rest of the superheroes in the world did. They had superhuman abilities, which made them superheroes. And as much as Bruce hated the limelight as Batman, his and Diana's relationship was all over the newspapers, magazines, tv shows, it was everywhere. It was part of that that made Bruce end it. Diana had pleaded with him that they keep their relationship as Bruce and Diana secret, just as their secret identities, but Bruce wouldn't have it. He cut her off, and since then, they haven't spoken a word to each other.

"I will go see her, Bruce," Clark said silently.

Bruce nodded shortly. He had hoped that Clark would offer to do that for him. He didn't want to see Diana, even if she accepted Superman's offer of allegiance, but he knew he would have to swallow his pride and work side by side with her. "Thank you, Superman."

Superman nodded his head. "Of course. I'll fly down first thing in the morning."

Batman nodded again. "Very well."

Superman nodded. "Good night, Bruce."

And with that, Batman activated a rocket to come out on his toolbelt before rocketing off of the rooftop. Superman shook his head. Batman was never one for goodbyes. Superman flew around the neighborhood, just to make sure everything was calm before heading back home, finding Lois asleep in bed. He got ready for bed himself and slipped beneath the covers behind her, wrapping his arms around his beautiful wife. Without waking up, she snuggled back into his embrace. Clark knew what ever was coming, he would do whatever it takes to protect the life he had made here for himself, above all else. Yes, the rest of the world was important to him, but nothing was more important than Lois and the life they made with each other.


	3. Lost Count Around 10?

Tony Stark sat on the couch in the penthouse of his main headquarters building. It had been designed as a pad for him to escape to. And since what happened with Pepper, he was using that for exactly that purpose. He had fucked up again, this time royally. He knew Pepper was never going to forgive him, and for the most part, he was fine with that. Especially since he was now more drunk than he thought he had ever been in his entire life. It felt good to be numb to the pain he had been feeling. He had done everything possible he thought he could. He tried to do right by Pepper, but it hadn't been enough. She could not put up with his playboy ways. He was always looking at other woman, and that pissed her off beyond belief. He didn't know that just because he was in a relationship that meant he wasn't allowed to even look at other women. It was what he did. He couldn't just change who he was, even if he thought he had been.

But none of that mattered now. The only thing that mattered at this moment, at this particular spec in time, was how much alcohol he could possibly consume before he passed out. Since becoming Iron Man, his constitution had considerably increased. The last time he had this much to drink had been at his birthday party a few years ago, but that had been a fun binge, even if it had been to numb another kind of pain he was feeling, an actual pain because of the paladium in his system. This time, his heart actually ached. No, he didn't really have a heart anymore, but whatever it is that makes a person love someone was broken inside of Tony, and he really didn't like the feeling. That's why he was drunk, and that's why he intended on getting still drunker.

The intercom beeped on his wall near the front door and he groaned. Had he not given explicit instructions that he was not to be disturbed? But of course, no one ever really did as they were told, now did they? He pushed his drunk ass up off the couch and slunked to the wall.

"Ye-es?" he asked, his speech slurred from his inebriation.

"Mr. Stark," the receptionist from the lobby's voice came over the line. "Colonel Nick Fury is here to see you, sir."

Tony rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I'm not in."

He heard Nick from the other line, telling the receptionist. "I'm going up."

Tony yelled back into the speaker. "I'M NOT HERE!" But there was no response. "You're... fi-red."

Clicking off the intercoom, he turned away from it and headed back over to the bar to get a fresh bottle. He was not in the mood to see Director Fury at this moment. In fact, come to think of it, he was never in the mood to talk to him. He always felt... uncomfortable around the colonel and he never felt uncomfortable around anybody. But Director Fury was a different story. Tony didn't know what it was about Nick Fury that made him so uncomfortable. He used Fury's eyepatch as a reason, but it was mostly just to make light of his uncomfortability.

The door opened and Tony walked around the bar, carrying a new bottle of scotch, mockingly saluting Fury with it. "Nice to see you there, Fury." Fury however wasn't pleased to see him, and Tony could tell. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"

"We need you back on your game, Stark."

Tony snorted a laugh and fell back on the couch, some of the scotch from the newly opened bottle splashing on his hand. He laughed, licking the liquid off of his hand. "I thought I wasn't needed by your super secret boy band."

"This isn't a joke, Tony. Something is coming, and we need you to help fight it."

Tony turned his head up to Stark after taking a drink. Swallowing coarsely, he narrowed his eyes in on the man standing across the room from him. "Iron Man is not available." He snickered, laying back more against the couch. "Leave a message after the beep." And with that, he made a loud and long BEEP noise. Laughing loudly, he took another long swig of his scotch and shook his head, closing his eyes, and relaxing there against the couch.

Fury walked over, kicking Tony's feet off the coffee table from where he had propped them up. Tony shot up, almost growling at the colonel. "Who do you think you are? Coming into my place of business and my home-"

Nick shook his head. "This is not your home. Remember. You live in Malibu. Or have you decided to make this," he looked around at the almost steril environment, "your new bachelor pad?"

Tony shook his head, holding his bottle up and pointing at Fury with one finger. "Where I live is none of your business." He walked around him and away from him.

"Clean yourself up, Mr. Stark. We will all be meeting at S.H.I.E.L.D. tomorrow evening. 1900 hours. Be there."

And with that, Director Fury left Tony alone in his penthouse, staring out the window over the vast city of Long Island below him. He liked looking out along the city, especially when all he wanted to do was think. That was another reason why he enjoyed being Iron Man. Whe he was flying around, he could look down over everything, and he could actually see everything. It was only a part of what he loved so much about being Iron Man, but right now, there wasn't anything he wanted more than to drown in yet this one more bottle of liquor. It felt good... or at least he felt better than he had when he began drinking. Right about now, he could barely even remember why he was drinking in the first place, even though he knew it had something to do with Pepper...


	4. We Need You

Diana was walking along the riverbend enjoying the sounds of the water rushing by and the birds in the trees and every other sound of nature that filled the air around her. She loved being down here in the Amazon. There was nothing like being detatched from the world. She didn't like to be bothered by the pressures of every day life. Here in the Amazon, she could shed off all the cares of life in the real world and focus on her life here in her kingdom. She had come here almost two years ago when she and Bruce had their huge blowout of a break up, and she hadn't been back to New York since. She was still in love with Bruce, and being in North America was just too close to him.

Even here in the Amazon was closer than she wanted to be, even if she was in her own little world here. No one knew where her kingdom was unless they had been brought here. It was protected by a magical warding that kept seekers and people who might stumble on it from finding it. The only way a person could find the place is if they knew exactly where it was because someone who lived there had brought them in. So when Diana saw Superman flying overhead in the clearing in front of her, she wasn't surprised to see him. Superman and Diana were close friends. She hadn't been able to attend Clark and Lois' wedding because it had been soon after she had broken up with Bruce, and she hadn't wanted to see him there. Of course no one ended up attending the wedding aside from their parents and Perry and Jimmy. It was a long story no one would believe unless they had been there.

Superman caught sight of Diana below and descended to her. Diana smiled up at him and stepped out to wrap her arms around him once he touched down on the ground.

"Kal. It is good to see you!"

Superman returned the hug she was so eagerly giving him. "It's good to see you, Diana."

Pulling back from the embrace, he looked down into her dark eyes. They held so much behind them. Secrets that no one would ever know. He was sure possibly Bruce knew those secrets, but Diana was as closed as Batman was. Not that she was as reserved as Batman was, but she was not able to share those secrets. They belonged to the land she lived on and was not allowed to share, even if she was the land's princess. Sharing with Bruce would have been different. He had been her romantic partner. These Amazon's shared everything with the person they had chosen to be their partner, and no one else.

"How are things? Lois?"

Superman nodded his head. "Lois is wonderful. We have a baby now."

Diana shook her head, confused. "How is that possible? I saw you five months ago, you didn't tell me she was pregnant."

Superman let out a soft sigh, nodding his head briefly. "He's not really our son. Well, he's not our son yet.

He was confusing Diana more and more by the moment. "I don't understand," she told him straight out.

"Ok," he said, starting to walk with her down the riverbank. "Remember H.G. Wells, the writer/inventor I told you about. How he came and visited Lois and me. How he helped us fix the curse that would have killed Lois had we..." he let his head bob back and forth for a moment and Diana filled it in for him.

"Consumated."

Clark nodded. "Yes. Anyway, he brought our son from the future back for us to take care of. But I'm beginning think that it wasn't the best of ideas."

"Why? What's happening?"

Clark sighed, continuing to walk with Diana. "Wells brought JP here from the future because Lois and I in the future thought it would be safer for him to be back here with us, so they sent JP back with Wells to us. But with what's coming, I'm not so sure we made the right decision in the future."

Diana understood time travel more than most people, so all that Clark was telling her wasn't confusing her at all. "If you and Lois from the future decided that you and Lois could take care of JP better now than then, then I am sure they made the right decision. But what is coming, Clark? What's going on?"

"Superheroes around the world are alligning in order to fight this danger that's coming from," Superman pointed up to the sky, "and even the most confident of superheroes are unsure they can fight it alone."

Diana nodded. "And that's why you've come to get me. You want to form, what? Some sort of a league?"

Superman was glad she understood, nodding pointedly. "Yes. Yes, actually, that's exactly what we're planning." As soon as Superman said we're, he knew he shouldn't have.

"We're? Did Bruce send you here, Clark?"

"Batman and I were discussing this last night, and we need you, Diana."

Diana shook her head, walking away from Superman. "He should have come here himself if he wanted me."

"Diana," Clark said, coming up behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders softly. "The world needs you."

Diana closed her eyes, trapping the tears forming behind them. Bruce didn't need her. Batman didn't need her. Nodding her head, she decided none of that mattered. She had come down here to forget Bruce, and that hadn't happened. And now, the world needed her to help her friends fight off whatever diabolic source was coming to threaten humanity.

"I'll do it," Diana told Clark, turning to face him. "But I'm doing this for the world, and for you. No one else."

Clark knew what she meant by that. He knew she meant she wasn't doing this for Bruce. If Bruce would have come down here on his own to ask her, then she would be doing it for him as well. But he was avoiding her, and everyone knew it. But he had been a coward, staying at home at his Wayne Manor, or locked up at Wayne Enterprises, or even in his batcave avoiding her. But she had agreed to do this despite him avoiding her. She had the people of the world to consider. She couldn't let them suffer because she was. It wouldn't be right.


	5. Avengers Debriefing

Tony Stark stepped off the elevator into the large conference room on the second subbasement of S.H.I.E.L.D. Natalie... he shook his head, remembering it was Natasha Romanoff, or Black Widow as they had said her code name was, was sitting next to a dark gentleman. Tony turned his head slightly. Most likely Russian as well. Tony had been briefed on the other members S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted for their super secret boy band, and Tony was sure the man was Clint Barton, or code name Hawkeye. He didn't seem too extraordinary to him, but Tony shrugged it off.

He looked at the man sitting a few seats down from Natasha. Bruce Banner. He was one man Tony was interested in meeting. Walking over to him, he held up his hand to the scientist who stood to greet him.

"Dr. Banner," Tony said, shaking the man's hand.

"Mr. Stark," Banner greeted him in return.

"It's nice to meet you," Tony told him, retrieving his hand and nonchalantly brushing it off on his pants before sliding his hands in his pocket. "Your work is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

Dr. Banner nodded his head, looking at the others sitting at the table, a little uneasy. Looking back at Tony, he smiled slightly. "Thanks."

Tony nodded his head, walking past the scientist, nodding at Natasha. "Romanoff."

She glared at him, returning his curt greeting, "Stark."

The room was devoid of decoration. The walls were stainless steel. The table it's self was steel as well, and the chairs, ordinary black office chairs. Nothing else was in the room. Tony found it a bit sterile and lacking life. The elevator door opened again and Tony turned to see who he assumed was Captain Steve Rogers. Looking him over, he assessed the superhero in front of him, thinking to himself, that this was the man who his father kept raving about. He didn't seem too super to Tony.

Steve walked over to him, assessing him the same way Tony had him. "Mr. Stark."

"So you do know who I am?" Tony said, crossing his arms over his chest, holding one hand up to his jaw, stroking his chin.

Steve nodded his head. "Of course. You're Howard Stark's son. Good man, your father. I was sorry to learn of his passing."

Tony dropped his hands and slid them in his pockets. "Yeah, well. It's best to leave the past in the past."

Steve had an odd feeling Stark was talking about him, but he shook it off. "I suppose you're right about that, Mr. Stark."

And with that, Steve walked away from Tony to meet the rest of the people in the room.

Tony turned to see Agent Coulson step off the elevator next. "Director Fury was unable to to with us today." He started to pass out debriefing folders to each of them sitting at the table.

Tony took a step forward, picking up the file Agent Coulson had set on the table in front of where he was standing and opened it. Reading it over, he shook his head, looking up at Coulson. He had no idea how this was all possible. "Are you sure about this?"

Coulson turned to look at Tony, nodding his head. "Yes, Mr. Stark. That's been provided to us by the highest of intelligence networks. It is coming. And only you," he said, turning to the rest of them, "can stop it."

"We can't do this alone," Natasha spoke, only now looking up from the file in her hands.

"That's why they were saying that we're going to have to ally with other metahumans?" Dr. Banner asked, his nose still tucked between the pages of the file.

"Exactly." Coulson answered.

Tony didn't like the sound of that. "Seriously? Other Superheroes? You mean the four of us," I said, looking over at Barton questioning what he even did, "aren't enough to stop this."

"I don't think you understand the magnitude of this threat, Mr. Stark," Coulson said, his attention turned directly toward him.

"Oh, I understand alright." He tossed the folder down on table, shaking his head. "I don't know about you all, but it was enough that I was even going to lend you my assistance. I'm not banding up with other super freaks. Good day." He turned, heading toward the elevator.

He looked to both sides of the elevator, not finding a button to press to call it. Turning around, he lifted his hands in defeat, "What do I have to do to get out of this joint?"

Coulson smirked. He loved having control over Tony Stark like no other.


	6. Justice League Assembles

Batman had been at the building he himself had purchased a few months back when he first started thinking about a superhuman group. The contractors and designers had been finished with the renovations of the building, and it was finally ready to be the headquarters of the superhero league. He had contacted a few superheroes himself before now, before he got word of what was coming, and had even got interest from a few, but now that this new threat was heading their way, more of them were willing to come aboard. He arrived early, looking over the city. It was a nice view, something he'd grown accustomed to from Wayne Enterprises.

He heard the door whoosh open behind him and turned to see Robin walk in the door.

"Hey, Bruce!" He looked around. "Am I really the first one here?"

Batman laughed shortly. He had told Dick to be here a little earlier than the rest of them. Dick never was one to be punctual, and he was even later than the time Bruce had told him to be there, but he had expected that. "They will be here shortly. I'm glad you could make it."

There were a few people he spoke to congenially when he was in his Batman suit. Dick was one of them. Clark Kent was one of them. Diana had been one of them... But he wouldn't have this demeanor when the others showed up, and Dick knew that. "Well, you know there isn't anywhere I would rather be."

Bruce wasn't all too sure about that, but they had become brothers, and even if Dick didn't want to be doing this for the world, Bruce knew that Dick would be doing it for him if for no other reason at all.

The door opened and he lifted his head to look behind Dick who turned to see Green Lantern walking in. Hal Jordan nodded his head to both of them in greeting. "Batman. Robin."

Dick smiled, walking over to him and taking his hand in a firm grasp, both of them doing a secret handshake of sorts, before giving each other a one-armed hug. "Nice to see you, Hal!"

Hal Jordan nodded his head, taking a step back. "You too, buddy."

"Thanks for coming, Green Lantern." Batman nodded to Hal, who nodded in return.

The door whooshed open again and Supergirl came into the room.

"Kara!" Robin walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and spinning her around.

Kara giggled, looking down at Dick, blushing. They were all friends or family pretty much in here right now, so she didn't mind Dick's display of affection. No one knew that they were together, no one but Bruce and Hal, so that he was doing this while they were both in their suits, she didn't mind.

Dick let her down on her feet, winking at her. "You didn't say you were coming here!

Kara shrugged her shoulders. "Well, Supergirl hasn't seen Robin lately, so I couldn't tell you." She said, becoming more serious.

Dick couldn't help but laugh. He had just left her house this morning, but he had been Dick, not Robin. And she had been Kara. Supergirl and Robin, according to the world, only knew each other by association. "True, true." He winked at her and turned back to Bruce, glancing back at Supergirl a few times as he asked Batman, "So, who else is coming?"

"Kal-El should be here," Supergirl answered beside Dick, warranting a nod from Batman.

"Yes," he acknowledged. "Superman will be coming. The Flash will be. Green Arrow and Aquaman weren't able to make it today."

"What about Barbara, Bruce?" Dick asked, looking from Batman to Kara. Kara and Babs were best friends, in both their superhero lives and in their secret lives. They owned a fashion magazine together.

Bruce nodded. Barbara Gordon was his friend Commissioner Gordon's baby sister. Bruce had always been like an older brother to her. "Batgirl will be here."

The doors swished open and they all turned to see Superman and Wonder Woman walking through the door together. Batman stood more rigid as his gaze immediately connected with Diana, but he didn't say a thing. He only stood there.

Superman turned and jumped up, giving Kal-El a tight hug, her arms wrapped around his neck. "Kal-El!"

Superman laughed shortly, wrapping his arms around his cousin. "Hello, Kara!"

She stepped back, looking between her cousin and Batman. "Now, I know we're going to be forming some sort of League, but what is this new threat that's coming? And where is it coming from?"

Batman pulled his gaze from Diana, turning to the large round glass conference table. "Why don't we all have a seat?"

Everyone took the Dark Knight's lead, taking seats in the plush chairs that surrounded the table. It was very Arthurian in nature. No head. No foot. All of them equal.

"Nothing has been substantially confirmed," Batman started, lacing his leather-clad fingers together after they all were seated, "but government intelligences have been in contact with a superhero who visited our planet last year, and he has told them that since his visit, threats from his realm and others have shown interest in ours."

"Well, that's just jacked!" Dick spat, holding his hands up. "This is just great! He comes and his friends want to see what's so special about our planet?"

Batman shook his head. "This is serious, Robin. Threats from his realm aren't like the ones we face here. Some of them can incinerate you just by looking at you."

"That doesn't sound good," a voice came from the door as everyone looked over to Batgirl standing there. She walked over, taking a seat by Supergirl.

"Thank you for joining us, Batgirl," Batman said before continuing. "That's why all the superheroes around the world are joining together. There is an organization formed by a government organization who are calling themselves the Avengers that we will be working with. Their director has contacted us and they will also be contacting the superheroes known as the Fantastic Four and they will also be contacting Professor Xavier's team they call the X-Men. The Avenger's director believes that if our groups join forces, we might be able to go up against this looming force."

"Do we know when this new force will arrive?" Superman asked, sure that everyone wanted to know.

Batman shook his head. "No."

"How does this other realm superhero know that they're even coming?" Robin asked, still not sure all this was legit.

Batman turned his gaze to Robin. "I know Director Fury, Dick. He would not tell me if he did not believe it."

Dick nodded his head, sitting back in his seat.

Batman unlaced his fingers, placing his hands flat on the table. "Now, we will be meeting with the Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four tomorrow. Green Arrow and the Flash will be there. I am expecting all of you to be there. We will be joining them as The Justice League."

Dick sat forward again, clapping his hands together once. "Yeah! I love it! The Justice League!"

Batman nodded his head. "That's what we will be known as to the world now, collectively."

Everyone else agreed on the name, even Diana who remained silent. She didn't take her eyes off of Bruce the whole time they were there, but she didn't say a word, and her expression was blank. If she was feeling anything, Bruce wouldn't know it. And if he was feeling anything, no one knew it. No one ever knew how Batman was feeling. He was the most stoic superhero ever. It was part of who he was. And even though Diana was used to it, it still hurt her that he could be in the same room with her after years of not even seeing each other, and not say a word to her. But that was how they would be. They were only League associates now, nothing more than that. And they never would be anything more than that.


	7. Not a Peep

Clark walked into the bedroom where Lois was already fast asleep in their bed. He noticed JP laying beside her and smiled. He knew that Lois hadn't been pregnant with him or given birth to him yet, but Clark knew that the baby boy laying beside Lois in their bed was their son. He knew that somehow they had been able to conceive him and she was able to carry him to term. After all the heartache they'd gone through since they decided they wanted to have children, and Dr. Kline at S.T.A.R. Labs telling them that they would be un able to conceive a child, somehow they had figured out how they could and they did. That's all that mattered to them now. They had wanted a child, and they had one. He may not be theirs now, but he would be, and knowing that was worth it.

Clark pulled off his shirt and his pants, climbing in bed with his family only in his boxers. Leaning over the sleeping baby, he kissed his sleeping wife on the forehead. She opened her sleepy eyes, smiling softly at him.

"Back from your super secret meeting?" she asked, sleep heavily laced through her words.

He lifted his hand, brushing her hair back from her face. "Yeah. You two have a good evening?"

Lois looked down at JP and smiled. "Yes. He's an angel." She turned her smile up to her husband. "Just like his father."

Clark leaned his forehead against Lois', sighing slightly. "Like his mother."

Lois smirked. She knew she was anything but an angel, and so did he, but she liked that he called her that. "So," Lois started, the reporter in her coming through now, "what happened at your meeting?"

Clark knew she wanted an exclusive from Superman, and usually, he wouldn't object to giving her one. He enjoyed giving Lois her exclusives, and he knew she reveled in them, but this time, he wasn't going to be able to to tell her, at least not anything she could publish just yet. If the world knew that the superheroes were banding together, they would go into a panic.

Shaking his head, he told her, "We don't want anyone to know that we're forming this group, yet. If the world knows something is coming, they will go into a panic."

Lois turned her head down, pouting, but she understood. She knew that as her husband he wanted to tell her, but as Superman, Lois knew that he needed her to save things for him. And because he was her husband, she did it for him. There wasn't anything Lois wouldn't do for Clark, and vise versa... except for listen to him most of the time when it came to getting stories. Superman would always tell her to stay put, and she would never listen.

"I understand that, Clark." Lifting her head, she gave him a small smile. "Is there ANYTHING we can print?"

Clark did his best not to even snicker. "Let me talk to the rest of the members of the Justice League and we'll decide what we want people to know just yet. But Lois, we don't know when this other realm threat is going to show up, Lois. All we have to go on is some director's word from some government entity that I've never heard about. But Bruce knows him, so that's good enough for me."

Clark and Bruce had known each other for years. Clark had worked for one of Bruce's newspapers when he had lived in New York City and Clark did an article on him, and they had met as superheroes not long after that. They had become close friends in a short amount of time. Lois understood their connection. She also understood the connection he had with Kara, his "cousin" from Krypton. Even though if she was honest with herself, she was slightly jealous, even though she knew she and Clark had something none of them had nor ever would have with him.

"Batman likes to work alone," Lois said, resting against his arm rested above JP's head, "don't you think it's odd that he's wanting to start a .. what did you call it? Justice League of superheroes? The name sounds like something he'd come up with though."

Clark finally let go of a short laugh. "Yeah, it does. But even Batman knows that the needs of the many far outweighs his need to work alone."

Lois understood that. She knew that Clark had always felt alone. It was part of what drove him to protect this planet. He didn't like being alone, and before Lois, helping people was what he did so he didn't feel alone.

Turning her head, she placed a soft kiss on his bicep. "I understand." Smiling up at him, she gave a soft nod, "I love you, Clark."

Lifting his head slightly, Clark brushed his lips across his wife's forehead. "I love you, Lois."


	8. Fantastic 4 at SHIELD

Steven Rogers stood in his new quarters where they were keeping the Avengers held up for training purposes punching one of the many punching bags that were set up for him. Not everyone of the Avengers thought they needed to train, but Rogers understood the importance of training. Even as strong as he was, he knew he needed to train, and now that they were a group, they needed to train together so they could get a feel for how everyone works. With what was coming, they would need to know each other inside and out. They didn't need to be going up against this unknown threat and not know how the rest of the people in the group work.

Hearing an alert, signaling to him that someone was at his door, he grabbed the bag he had been punching making sure it stopped swinging and letting go of an aggravated sigh before turning toward the door. Pressing the panel on the wall beside the door, the door slid opened. Before him stood a man and a woman.

"May I help you?" Rogers asked, looking the couple over.

"Actually yes," the woman said, walking past him and into the room.

Steve's gaze followed her into the room and back to the man who remained by the door.

"You'll have to forgive her," the man on the other side of the door told the man standing in front of him. "She's very determined."

Steve shook his head, taking a step back. "By all means, come in. Make yourself at home."

The man nodded, stepping in to the room as the door slid shut behind him.

"First off, what are you doing here? Are you some sort of lab rat or experiment to this S.H.I.E.L.D. operation or what?" the woman said, her arms crossed over her breasts, indignant.

"Don't you believe it would have been better to start with introductions, Sue?" the man asked of her.

Sue pursed her lips at him, almost glaring before turning back to Steve. "I'm Sue Storm, this is my fiance Reed Richards. Now, tell me, what are you doing here?"

Steve looked back and forth between the two of them. He had read about them in People Magazine. They were part of the Fantastic Four, Scientists and pilots who went into space and came back as Superheroes. Wasn't completely unlike what happened to him. Although, Rogers had chosen what had happened to him. The Fantastic Four hadn't.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has my squad and me here for training purposes," Rogers told her, standing at ease in front of her, his hand holding his wrist behind his back.

Alright, so she had asked what the was doing here, being a lab rat first, but she had meant to ask what he was doing HERE, where he came from, but she really already knew all those answers. She decided to cut right to the chase, taking her purse out of her wallet and walking over to him.

"Does he look familiar to you?" Sue asked, opening her wallet to the pictures, showing him a picture of Johnny.

Rogers looked over the picture. It was him. But he had never remembered wearing that outfit or being where that picture had been taken. Looking up at Sue, he shook his head. "That's me, but I never posed for that picture."

Sue pulled back her wallet, shaking her head. "That's my brother, Johnny."

He pulled the wallet out of her grasp, looking at the picture more closely. "That's your brother Johnny?" he asked, looking up at her. He didn't really understand. It was like he was looking at himself, but he wasn't looking at himself. He was looking at ... a doppelganger?

"Yeah, now do you want to tell me why you look exactly like him?"

Rogers shook his head, looking back and forth from Sue to Reed and back to Sue. "You think I have an answer for this?"

Sue put her wallet back in her purse and planted her hands on her hips. "Yes, I do, actually."

Steve shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't. I've never met you or your brother. I can't explain the resemblance."

"Resemblance?" Sue practically screamed at him. "The two of you are practically carbon copies!"

Reed quickly came to her side, rubbing her back. "Maybe we should go now. They said they wanted us to speak with the director when we were through here."

The only reason they had been allowed access to the mansion in the first place was because Director Fury had wanted to speak with them any how, and them coming here made it easy for him.

"I'm not done here yet, Reed!" she snapped at him, pulling her arm from his grasp. "I need to know why this man and my brother look exactly the same!"

Reed sighed, looking over at Rogers. "Maybe he doesn't know anything."

Rogers shook his head. "I don't. I'm sorry, but I don't."

Sue wasn't happy. But she knew he probably didn't. "I'm going to go talk to your director, but this isn't over." She walked past him to the door, stopping when she didn't see a handle. "How do I get out of here?"

Rogers walked with Reed over to the door and pressed the panel on the side of the wall, making the door slide open for them. "Thank you," she mumbled, walking out the door.

"Thank you," Reed told Rogers, walking out the door, following Sue.

Rogers nodded his head and pushed the panel again, shutting the door. He seriously had no idea why this kid looked just like him, but he could see how his sister would be upset that someone would show up looking exactly like her brother. Inhaling deeply, Steve walked over to the punching bag and went back to his workout.

Sue looked at the door and then back at Reed. "I hate these doors, Reed. Promise me you'll never have something this ridiculous installed at the Baxter Building."

Reed reached up and pressed the alert panel to alert the director they were there. "It's just like a doorbell, honey."

"Yeah," she said, seriously annoyed with the door. "But the door has no doorknob, or handle, or anything! It's annoying!"

Reed lifted his hand to rub her back softly. "I know, honey."

The door slid open and Nick Fury stood in front of them. "Ah! Richards. Storm. Come in, please." He stepped back so Reed and Sue could enter.

They stepped into the room and Fury pressed the panel to shut the door and turned back into the room. "I was surprised to have you show up here, when I was about to call you myself."

"Why did you want to speak with us, Director Fury?" Reed asked, looking over at Sue who was still calming down from the meeting they'd had with Captain Rogers.

"Right down to business. Right," Fury said, nodding and walking past them to get the portfolio he'd created for the Fantastic Four. "I have assembled a group of people just like yourselves to fight the world's threats, just like you do."

Reed took the file Fury handed him. "What does that have to do with us?"

"We've recieved intelligence, telling us that there are new threats coming, threats from another world, from another realm actually. And we need your help. I've already spoken with the newly formed Justice League, and they are on board. I've only to speak to the X-Men now. I think with all of you, we should be able to hold up some sort of resistance against this."

Reed looked up from the file while Fury was telling him about the other superheroes, and nodded. "Well, we need to go home and speak with the others, but I am pretty sure you can count on the Fantastic Four." He looked down at Sue who gave him a grumpy look and he looked back to Fury.

"Excellent! Take that home. Debrief your team, and I'll be in touch with you!"

Reed nodded, looking back down at Sue. She gave him a smile, but he could see the fire burning behind her eyes. She hated when he made decisions for the group by himself, but he had said that they would talk about it first. He was sure she was still on fire because of the meeting with Steve Rogers, so he wasn't going to worry too much about it.


	9. Good Day, Director Fury

Storm stood over the graves in the back yard of Xavier Mansion, lamenting quietly over the loss of her friends and coworkers. First it had been Scott, then not much longer it was Charles. And then, Jean finally let Logan take her. But it had been so fast. Boom. Boom. Boom. Bad things always happen in threes. Of course, other people had died, but those were the greatest the X-Men felt.

Logan surprisingly had stuck around. Ororo Munro, or Storm as she had come to be known as with the rest of the X-Men, was grateful for the help around the mansion. All of the teaching responsibilities had landed on her. Scott, Jean and Storm had been helping Professor Xavier with classes, but now it was only Storm, until Logan came back.

He had stayed away for a few weeks, the time he needed to mourn Jean alone, before coming back to the mansion, telling Storm he felt he was needed here. She gratefully accepted his return and the two of them have been doing their best to give the students at the Institute the best that they can as short handed as they were.

Hank McCoy had been helping out as much as he could, commuting back and forth between the mansion and D.C., still holding down his post as Ambassador of Mutant Affairs. He was needed, especially after what happened with Magneto and Jean, relations between the humans and the mutant population were even more strained than before. But the President of the United States, along with the United Nations thought it best they keep in in office as opposed to terminating him (literally or his employment). They also thought it would be best to have him there to keep an eye on him, and to keep an eye on the rest of the mutants through him. and even though Hank knew this, he stayed on, because he believed in unity and peace, and if he were to leave, based on mistrust, he wouldn't be upholding his beliefs.

Storm turned to see Beast standing in the doorway. He had obviously been calling her name and was about ready to head down the stairs toward her, but when he saw her turn toward him, he stopped.

"Hank," Storm spoke his name briefly, almost out of breath as if he had startled her, placing her hand over her bosom. "How long have you been standing there?" She was sure he had been calling out to her, but she didn't mention that.

"Not long," Hank replied suavely. Although, it had been quite some time. "Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. is in Char- your office." They were all still getting used to not having Xavier around, and it was still hard on all of them.

Storm nodded her head and walked toward Beast. "Thank you, Hank." She patted his arm as she walked past him, heading down the hall the brief distance toward Xavier's office. Even though Professor X had been gone for quite a few months now, but Storm would never call it her office. It had been and would always be Professor Xavier's office.

She walked into the office where she saw the man whom she knew from video call the night before standing in front of the windows, staring out on the estate.

"Director Fury?"

Fury turned to face Storm, nodding his greeting to her. "Ms. Munro."

Storm shook her head. "Storm, please."

Fury nodded again in understanding. "Storm it is. I'm Nick Fury, we spoke on my secure line last night. Wanted to meet with you about something of utmost importance."

"Have a seat," Storm said, holding her hand up to the chairs on the other side of Charles' desk.

Fury shook his head. "No, thank you."

Storm nodded her head, planting her hands on her hips. "What is it I can do for you, Director Fury?"

"Since what happened this last year with the mutant population, you've been under close observation of my organization."

Storm shook her head, her eyes narrowing in on him. "We are not lab rats, Director!"

Fury held his hands up, shaking his head. "No! That is not how that was meant to be perceived, Ms... Storm. At S.H.I.E.L.D. we welcome people that are... different, shall I say?"

Storm still didn't like how this man was going about asking her for whatever he was here for. "Why don't you just cut to the chase, Director."

Fury dropped his hands flat by his side. "We need the X-Men's help to fight a threat that the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new group of metahumans, cannot fight it alone."

Storm walked over to a picture of Professor Xavier on the wall. "In case you are unaware, Director Fury," she said, lifting her hand to illustrate her words, "we're undermanned around here as it is. We're still making adjustments since three of our finest and strongest X-Men died. We are in no way capable to join any sort of alliance right now to fight any sort of threat, whether you can or cannot handle it on your own."

"You don't understand, Storm," he said, taking a step toward her, coming up inches from her face. "We need you. I've been in touch with every Superhuman group, every metahuman group that there is. We need everyone. Even with those that are willing to help, it's not going to be enough."

Storm glared up at him, the clouds forming behind her eyes. "I've told you, we are incapable of lending a hand, Director. Good day."

"Ms. Munro-"

Storm cut him off, the clouds thickening in her eyes. "I said good day, MR. Fury."

Fury shook his head and walked out around her, leaving the room and The Xavier Institute.

Not more than a few moments later, Logan, or Wolverine as he is known around here, walked into the office. "Storm?"

She looked up at him, wiping a tear from her face. "Logan..."

He shut the door and walked over to her. "What did that guy want?"

Looking up at him, Storm crossed her arms over her breasts. "Apparently he's like some sort of metahuman/superhero/mutant agent or something. He wanted the X-Men," she let go of a short exhale of air, shaking her head, "whatever we have left of us, to join forces with his group to fight some threat. He didn't tell me what kind, but I told him that we weren't able to."

Ever since last year when they were fighting Magneto, and Jean too for that matter, Logan had been used to getting people to fight, no matter what the cost. But the cost had been too great for him. He had lost Jean because of that attitude. Back then he would have told Storm that they should fight, no matter what the cost. But the cost had not only been too great for him, it had been to great for everyone here and they were still getting used to their decreased numbers.

"You're right," Logan agreed. "We are not at our best, but we can be." He needed to jump into something to get his mind of Jean. Anything. "If we are really needed, we will be ready when we really are."

Storm knew he was right. They had to do what they could to get back up to the caliber they had been when Xavier, Scott and Jean had been with them. They could get there. It might take a while, but they could get there, even if none of them had the heart to do so.


	10. Beautiful Visitor

Tony Stark stood on the roof of the building where he and the rest of the Avengers were training. It was the closest he could get to the feeling he got from his penthouse at Stark Enterprises or even from his view outside his villa in Malibu. It wasn't more than a few stories off the ground, and there wasn't anything except for mountains surrounding the area as far as he could see. It wasn't much, but at least he felt like he was getting some sort of a breather.

They didn't even have any alcohol here. Fury wanted them all at their highest operating abilities, and Stark wanted to shove his highest operating ability up Fury's ass. Tony wasn't used to people telling him what to do or following regulations of any kind. Being cooped up here wasn't good on his attitude. But what else did he have? Iron Man and his company was all he had since Pepper left him, and his company could survive without him for a minute while he played superhero.

He saw a flash of bright light from the sky. Tony realized it was falling, like a shooting star, but he could tell it wasn't a shooting star. It looked more like a UFO. It looked like one, anyway, and he knew life existed on other planets. Why wouldn't there be? And he actually knew Thor... at least that's what he thought Agent Coulson had introduced him as. But this wasn't how Thor had arrived. Tony had heard how Superman had arrived here on Earth, and this was more like that. It looked like a space ship that was loosing gas and sputtering down to the earth.

Tony watched as the UFO hit the ground and looked around quickly. He knew that S.H.I.E.L.D. would be responding to it in a matter of moments, but he could get there sooner than them if he had his suit. He ran back in the building and down to the quarters they had assigned him. It was a few floors down, and he wasn't necessarily in the BEST of shape. By the time he got down to his room, he was slightly worn out. But at least he didn't have to pull the suit on himself. It was designed to snap into place just by Tony activating it.

It took only a few seconds and it was on. Taking the way up he came down, he flew off the roof and headed toward the crash site of the UFO. S.H.I.E.L.D. had already left the base and were heading out there as well. In cars, so Tony could easily fly above them and reach the point of impact long before they did. Touching down on the ground just a few feet from the crash site, he looked it over before taking the few steps closer to it.

The ship opened and Tony looked down into it. A beautiful brunette in a torn modern mideval armor-type dress was laying in the pod, passed out, or close to it. He knew the S.H.E.I.L.D. agents would be there soon enough, so he could either leave her there, or take her back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. building by himself. They'd figure out sooner or later that he had been the one to arrive on the scene first, but he didn't care. He felt like he needed to help this girl himself. The agents would probably poke and prod her until she woke up, and he could tell just by looking at her that she didn't need that.

He leaned in and pulled the half conscious girl up into his arms. She softly moaned as she fell against the hardness of his suit, but relaxed against it as he pulled her up out of the crater and flew back toward the S.H.I.E.L.D. building. She didn't move the entire way back, but he could still tell she was breathing. That was all that was important now. He didn't need her dieing now that she had just gotten there.

He laid her down on his bed before getting out of his suit and getting a glass of water and a warm compress for her, plus the first aide kit that was there in his room. When he returned to her side, the cuts and bruises she had when he picked her up and still had when he laid her down on his bed were gone. He turned his head slightly, regarding her closely. She didn't seem to have been in an accident at all. She seemed to be perfectly ... perfect, aside from being passed out on his bed.

He was used to beautiful women being passed out on his bed, but he hadn't given her a reason to be passed out, and the reason she had been passed out for didn't seem to be the reason anymore. He sat down on the bed beside her after having placed the cup of water on the side table and the first aide kit on the bed with the warm compress laying on top of it. He leaned forward, smoothing the woman's hair back from her face. She was beautiful. Yes, he thought that about most women he came in contact with, but there was something about this beauty that had him forgetting ...

forgetting why he was there with S.H.I.E.L.D. to begin with, forgetting what he was wanting to forget, and then some. He hadn't even seen her eyes, but he was mesmerized by her. She turned her head slightly and her eyes started to flutter. "Hi there," he said as her eyes opened completely. "Are you alright?" Immediately, she sat up, scrambling back toward the headboard. Tony held up his hands. "It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you."

She looked at him weirdly. For a moment, Tony wondered if she could even understand him. So, he asked. "Can you understand me?" She still continued to look at him as though she wasn't understand the words he was saying. "I'm Tony. And you are?" She relaxed slightly, but her face still seemed to be contorted in worry.

"Bess." It was all she said, her voice shaking slightly as she looked him over, trying to get a feel for him.

"Bess," Tony repeated his name and nodded to the glass of water. "I got that for you." Tony didn't like taking things from people and he didn't like handing things to people either. It was one of his pet peeves. Bess turned her head to look at the glass of water sitting on the table, but refused to pick it up. She had no clue where she was at or if she could even trust the man sitting before her.

Tony stood up and slid his hands in his pants pockets. "Are you alright? Are you in pain?" He was still trying to wrap his head around her rapid healing. He knew that she had been injured when he pulled her from her rocket, but now she was completely healed.

Bess shook her head. "No..."

Tony nodded, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. Just then, the door whooshed open and Agent Coulson stepped in with a few other agents who immediately came to the bed where Bess was sitting.

"I'm sorry, Miss. But you'll have to come with us."

Bess' eyes flipped from the man at the door to Tony who knew Agent Coulson would be coming. He was actually surprised it took so long. Tony looked at Bess, noticing ... fear in her eyes. Well, he had gotten himself involved. He couldn't just stand back now.

"Come on, Coulson. Is this really necessary?" Tony asked, taking a step toward Bess as the other agents helped her stand from the bed.

"Yes, Mr. Stark. She is an unidentified personage. She must be taken down for questioning."

"Unidentified?" Tony asked, shaking his head. "She's not unidentified. This is my friend. This... this is Bess."

Coulson knew he was bullshitting him and resisted the urge to roll his eyes, something he wanted to do quite often with Tony Stark. "Right. And how did she get here?"

"How else?" Tony rolled his shoulders in an exaggerated shrug. "I went to get her. I was getting a bit bored in your fancy little compound here, so I thought I'd go find myself someone to help me pass my time."

"I'll just bet you did." Coulson's voice was teetering close to mockery, but he still remained stoic as usual.

"I did," Tony said, walking over and taking Bess' hand and pulling her into his arms, away from the other agents.

The agents looked over to Coulson for instructions, but all he did was shake his head slightly, turning his attention back to Tony. "Your friend may stay with you for now, but this is not over."

Tony kept Bess in his protective embrace, his gaze firmly set on Coulson. "It never is."

Coulson looked over to the other agents and they left the room immediately. "Have fun with your friend, Mr. Stark." And with that, he turned and left the room, the door whooshing shut behind him.

Tony looked back at Bess who was looking up at him, gratefully. "Thank you," she said softly, biting her lip and stepping back from him. "What is this place?"

"My room?" He looked around. "Oh. You mean this place. Some government facility. I'm training with some other superheroes, or at least that's what we call ourselves, for some threat that's coming from God knows where."

"You mean Apocalypse?"

"Apocalypse," Tony repeated on complete disbelief. "As in end of civilization, end of life as we know it Apocalypse?"

"That would be the one."

"And how do you know about it?" Tony was intrigued, far mor than he usually was with any given woman. But she had sparked his interest. Falling from the sky. Knowing about the "threat" that was coming. And knowing the name of it. That's more than Tony had gotten from S.H.I.E.L.D.

"It destroyed my home. I was the only one left."

Tony's brow lifted even more. "How did you escape."

"I didn't escape," she said, crossing her arms over her breasts and walking over to the window, rubbing her arms as if she was cold.

"Well, if you didn't escape, how is it you're the only one that survived?"

Bess looked out along the desert terrain. It was nothing like her home. Everything was lush and green there with cascading waterfalls and luxurious rivers. There was no life here as far as the eye could see.

"I was on the brink of death," she started to relay to him, closing her eyes as if she were remember the incident that happened not too long ago, but seemed like it were ages ago. "We were no match for all these behemoths, these colossal nightmares."

Tony had no idea what she could possibly be talking about. When she said colossal, he couldn't help but think of Greek myth Titans, but she hadn't even said what these behemoths could do. Could it be possible that they were as destructive as the mythological Titans? "How many of there were you fighting them? How many of them were there?"

Bess turned away from the window, shaking her head and looking over at him. "We had every capable being working to fight all of them. But we were no match for them."

She hadn't answered him, but he could tell she was on the verge of tears. Tony had no idea what it was like to be the only remaining survivor of a destroyed planet. All he could do is comfort her. Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around her. "Shhh. You don't have to tell me right now. Shhh."

He'd get answers from her later. For right now, he was just going to ease her mind and her spirits. He wasn't about to jump into bed with her. Hold her all night, maybe. But he wasn't going to to take advantage of her. He'd learned a lot by being with Pepper, that women don't always want to be treated like a sex object. Tony guessed that was one good thing that came out of knowing her. But he wasn't thinking about her tonight. All he was thinking about right now was this beautiful visitor, or rather orphan, from another planet who only needed his comfort right now. He was only going to be her comforting strength right now. Nothing more. Nothing less.


	11. Vast Emptiness

Batman stood staring out the window at the temporary headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D., staring out along the nighttime desert. It was still, a far cry from what he was used to staring out over the vast cityscape that was his Gotham. He prefered the city. It was where he was born, it was the people he loved and protected. He would never want to live anywhere else. It was home to him and he could never consider any other place that. He was glad they were only meeting here and not moving out here permanently. He couldn't do that. It was already a stretch for him to be joining forces with other Superheroes. He was used to working alone.

The door hissed open behind him and he turned to see … Internally, he sighed. He had learned how to keep his emotions and his actions to himself as Batman. Even though he had sighed, no one would have been able to tell underneath that suit. But Wonder Woman could always tell. She tried to ignore it, but she knew the Batman better than anyone in this world, aside from maybe Alfred or Kal-El. Alfred had known him since birth and Kal-El was his best friend. She'd like to think she knew Bruce as well as Kal-El did, but after she and Bruce had parted ways, Diana knew she had no right to that claim any longer.

"I'm sorry," she spoke, her usual assertive manner gone from her voice. "Superman said we were meeting in here."

Somehow Bruce knew that they'd been set up. Whether they were meeting in here or not, they weren't meeting here right now, and he should have known Clark would do something like this.

"It seems we're early," Bruce's usual, dark and brooding Batman tone was heavy on his voice.

He couldn't be Bruce with her. Not when his heart still belonged to her and hadn't belonged to anyone else since the two of them had been together. Diana nodded. She knew she should leave. She knew prolonging her exit would only make the ache in her heart that much more, but she couldn't make her feet move.

"This is a noble thing you're doing, Bruce."

_Noble?_ After everything that had been between the two of them, she was calling him _noble_.He didn't like the sound of the word, not coming from her lips. Not that he'd like that word associated with him normally. Clark, on the other hand, wouldn't mind such a term associated with something he was doing, but Bruce wasn't seeking praise. He was doing this for the people he protected, and whether she believed it or not, she was one of them. He knew she didn't _need_ protecting, not like the rest of the people in the world, but he was still in love with her, so she needed protecting most of all. He couldn't tell her that. It would only make things between them worse, so he remained stoic.

"I am glad you joined us, Diana."

He caught her off guard, not expecting him to say anything along the lines of … well, anything to say he was glad she was here. Then again, he hadn't said _he_ was glad she was there for him specifically. He was glad she was there for the league, not for him. Why should she have hoped for anything more? Smiling, she took a step into the room and the door hissed shut behind her.

"Are you worried?"

Diana knew that Bruce did a lot of worrying, even if no one else knew that about him, she knew it. He was a silent brooder, but he worried about everyone and everything. Bruce turned back toward the window. He knew how well Diana knew him and he hated it. He could hide his feelings from everyone except for her. There was a time he loved that. He would have never told her that, but he had loved that when they were together. Now, he wished she didn't. He couldn't hide it from her and he knew it.

"We may not know all we need to know about this force yet, but I think we've got some really good teams coming together."

Diana wished he could open up to her like had before, but that was a long time ago. They weren't together anymore, and he never wanted them to be again. He had made that perfectly clear when they had broken up. She hadn't understood why, but she had stupidly stood back and let it happen. She should have fought for their relationship, but she didn't. She just let it go and ran away. She'd been in Themyscira for so long, she had thought she could forget him, but when Kal-El had shown up asking her to join up with the League Batman was forming, she knew it wasn't true.

She walked up beside Bruce, looking out the window into the barren desert with him. "Nothing like Themyscira."

Bruce turned his attention toward her. "How is your mother?"

Diana smiled. Even if they weren't together, he still cared. He would ask about her mother if he didn't. "She's good. She hadn't liked that I had come home, but she was glad I did."

It didn't make sense out of context, but he understood she what she meant. Hippolyta liked Diana's relationship with Bruce. She trusted Bruce. It hadn't been like Diana's relationship with Steve Trevor. She was always sure Steve would break her heart, and he did, just not in the way Bruce had. Bruce had ended breaking Diana's heart in the way Hippolyta was sure Steve would have. Steve had died. It hadn't been his fault he left her. Bruce willingly ended things between him and Diana. He would blame Hippolyta if she never forgave him.

Bruce didn't know what to say. What do you say to the woman you'll always love but can never be with again? What he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and tell her he was a fool for ever letting her go, but that would do more harm than good. He had pushed her away because he didn't want people using her to get to him. Even though she was a superhero herself and he knew she could take care of herself, he didn't want his enemies using her to get to him. Clark had that problem with Lois, even though the world didn't know he was Superman. His enemies didn't know Lois was his wife, but from time to time, one of them would figure it out somehow. Truth be told, it was nights lying awake thinking about this that drove Bruce to the decision he had made. He would not have his enemies using Diana against him. He would not allow it.

"Bruce..."

Her tone was soft and gentle. She wasn't Wonder Woman in here with him. She was Diana, the woman he loved, the woman he knew he would always love.

"Diana..."

His voice came out... soft. It was the voice of Bruce Wayne, not the Batman voice associated with him in his cape and cowl. He couldn't turn to face her. He couldn't... But that's exactly what he was doing. Now, standing face to face, he was actually looking into her eyes. Her eyes were searching for answers, answers to questions Bruce had never wanted to answer, but he knew Diana deserved that much. She always had, but he had been too much of a coward to face her questions.

"Don't."

She finally spoke. He was finally able to give her those answers, but here she was telling him not to.

"Princess?"

She swallowed hard, using the moniker she only heard from him. Yes, she was her people's princess, but to Bruce, it was something much more.

"I don't want to bring up the past, Bruce. It was wonderful while it lasted, but it was in the past, and I do not live in the past." She gave him the brightest smile she could muster. "I have to keep my focus on the future."

He felt lost now. More so than he'd been since the last time he saw her. She didn't want answers? The thing was, she had thought she wanted answers, but now that he was standing here in front of her, she didn't want them. She didn't want to hurt anymore than she had these last few years. She wanted to move on.

"I'm going to go find Superman," Diana spoke, turning on her heel and heading toward the door, stopping just as it hissed open, turning to look back at him. "This is a good thing we're doing, Batman." She gave him a brief smile and left him alone in the room, the door hissing in her wake.

Batman stood, blinking at the emptiness that was left behind her. It wasn't all too much like the emptiness that was left in his heart after he left her and even still now. He was empty and he knew nothing would ever fill that void ever again. He turned back to gaze out the window over the vast desert. It was just how he felt as well, dark and empty, even more so than this room.


End file.
